Fallball Check-In: Loyola Greyhounds

The Greyhounds played one of the most exciting games of the NCAA tournament's first round, digging themselves a 9-2 hole before going on an incredible run to send the game to overtime. Cornell scored in triple OT to end Loyola's season.

The Hounds are a different team this year, having lost their top two attackmen and two defensemen. A talented group of freshmen brings even more depth to the midfield and Loyola is using the fall to get them all up to speed but also trying to find an identity in the sense of who the vocal leaders of the team will be.

Fall Focus

Just as most teams use the fall, Loyola is focused on getting educating the freshmen about their philosophies, being competitive in all aspects of the game and implementing a base offense and defense.

With the departure of Steve Layne, the Greyhounds are left with another challenge: determining who the vocal leader of the team will be, primarily on the defensive end but also on the attack and in the midfield.

"Layne was our rock. When he spoke, everyone on that field listened," coach Charley Toomey says. "Today (alumni game on Oct. 1) was our first time in a scrimmage environment giving up a goal and having five guys huddle and come together at the top of the crease. I'll be interested in getting some feedback on how those huddles worked and who led them."

Steve Dircks, Matt Langan and Eric Lusby would be natural fits, all three being seniors and the "next in line" for taking on leadership roles. Chris Palmer, Nick Disimilie and Jake Hagelin were others that Toomey mentioned as possibilities.

"Loyola will be a better program when we figure it out," he says.

Fresh Faces

While Loyola has some talented freshmen joining the family this season, some of the most interesting additions to the team aren't rookies.

Mike Sawyer returns to the field after sitting out last season for having violated a team rule. Sawyer was the ECAC Rookie of the Year in 2009 and still has three seasons left of eligibility. He's a dynamic player with great athleticism who can shoot the ball and was playing on the attack at Loyola's alumni scrimmage on Friday.

"Now that his brother (freshman Matt Sawyer) is here, I think he pays more attention to detail and the little things that we've talked to him about," says coach Charley Toomey. "I don't think we've seen the best of Mike Sawyer."

Another transfer who has somewhat flown under the radar is Chris Palmer, a fifth year graduate student who was a starter on Bucknell's midfield last year. While the midfield lines are still very much up in the air (see "Key Battles" below), it appears the coaching staff sees a lot of potential with him on the roster and that he'll see a lot of minutes.

Of Loyola's group of freshmen, Kevin Ryan seemed to have the biggest impact in the alumni scrimmage. While Toomey said Ryan has stepped up his game and impressed the staff, someone new seems to stand out everyday.

Attackman Justin Ward has potential and can carry the ball behind the net and Austin Rogusky could see time in the midfield. Goalie Jack Runkel has also impressed. At 6-3, 215, Runkel brings size to a position the Greyhounds' have typically been pretty average at. He's also very vocal. Toomey said he reminds him of Michael Fretwell, who was the ECAC Goalie of the Year in 2005.

Top Dogs

As many teams go through in the fall, Loyola is a little banged up. Eric Lusby, who is the team's top returning goal scorer, blew out his knee in the Cornell game and is out for the fall. When he returns, he'll move from the midfield to his natural position at attack and fill in for the role that Cooper MacDonnell played last year. Chris Baslar, who started in the midfield last year until he got injured, is also taking the fall to recover as well as Josh Hawkins, who had knee surgery this summer, and defensive leader Steve Dircks.

The attack is Matt Langan's to lead. Loyola's leading points returner is a quarterback type who can direct traffic on the offense and is expected to take a step up in terms of leadership.

The original plan for Hawkins, who Toomey says is the top defensive midfielder in the country, was for him to take on more of an offensive role. However, his injury may have set those plans back a bit.

"I don't think he's going to be able to compete for an offensive spot this spring because of his injury," Toomey says. "We know he can be a d-middie and an offensive juggernaut between the lines so that's where we're going to keep him."

Goalie Jake Hagelin finished 2010 ranked No. 8 among Division I goalies with an 8.25 goals against average. On a different note, he also ended the 2010 season on the bench after getting pulled for Alex Peaty after allowing eight goals in just under 25 minutes in Loyola's first round game against Cornell, a performance he's putting behind him.

"He definitely didn't finish the way he wanted to," Toomey says. "He's ready to come back and have his best year."

Key Battles

While Lusby, Langan and Sawyer appear to be the frontrunners on attack, Pat Fanshaw has continued to progress and is expected to see more time in 2011 than he did last season. Toomey said how things pan out with the attack will help determine how the midfield shakes out.

"The challenge is figuring out who those top four to five guys are and then seeing if those guys further down the depth chart can come in and compete for a midfield spot," Toomey says. "We're still juggling the parts trying to figure out the whole."

Baslar and Stephen Murray are returning midfield starters — so is Lusby but he's moving to attack — and Davis Butts, who scored two goals as Loyola fought back to force overtime against Cornell in the first round, will fight for a starting role in the fall.

The graduation of Kyle Cottrell and Layne leaves two starting roles open on the close defense. Nick Disimilie, who started last season when Layne was injured, should be able to fill one of those spots and sophomore Reid Acton and junior Dylan Grimm are competing for time as well.

Fall Traditions

Loyola's hosting of the alumni extends past just the scrimmage on Friday. The alumni and the team also participate in the Gerry Case Golf Tournament, which honors Case, who passed away as a freshman at Loyola. The proceeds from the golf outing support Loyola's annual fall outing.

"We go on retreat with Father Brown at the end of fallball and basically leave lacrosse behind and go out and talk about faith and do a lot of team building and team bonding," Toomey says. "To me it’s what spearates Loyola from some other places. When you come back, you no longer have freshmen, sophomores and juniors; you have Loyola lacrosse players."